To test or not to test

The headline is s a a nod to Shakespeare, and this week's message speaks to an issue that I know many students and families are wrestling with as their students consider US applications. A recent article ?by NYT columnist, David Leonhardt, a highly respected economist and journalist, has reignited the testing debate with educational experts and influencers choosing sides. Although Leonhardt cites evidence that appears compelling, other leaders in the field (e.g,.Professor of Public Policy and Economics Jacob Vigdor at University of Washington) have challenged his conclusions. No matter the intellectual debate, let's deal with the reality of the situation.

The pandemic certainly accelerated the adoption of test optional policies. After all, students were largely not in school, education was disrupted, and testing centers closed. It's been three years and life has gone on. What Leonhardt's article doesn't address are outcomes for this population of students who were admitted, for the most part, without submitting standardized test scores. So, there is important research yet to come..

Yes, MIT and Georgetown have doubled down on their position to require scores. Brown, Penn, and Cornell will issue policy statements regarding testing later this spring, in advance of the next admissions cycle. Columbia concluded its study and has cemented its position as test optional.

So, where does this uncertainty leave us? At the Lycée, we made the decision several years ago to continue administering the PSAT in tenth and eleventh grades to provide students and families with a benchmark from which to make a decision about testing or not, and how best to proceed, hopefully guided by conversations with the College Counseling team.? And the year eleven PSAT also allows students who do well to earn a commendation and even, perhaps, merit scholarship awards.

There is widespread recognition that test prep works. That is important for some of students who decide to prepare for the SAT or ACT. We also know that the French curriculum is not aligned with US standardized testing. For our students who perform at the higher score end, preparing - whether with a paid tutor or online with Khan Academy for free - can boost their scores. But gaining hundreds of points is extremely rare. And the cost - literally and figuratively- is not worth it in most cases. At the Lycée, students sit for a French national exam at the end of their educational journey. There is tremendous respect from universities for what our students achieve in the Baccalauréat curriculum.

Moreover, we are building evidence that the submission of scores says very little about the admission of our students to the most selective universities. Last year, 80% of our students? accepted to the Ivies did so without scores. That gives us the confidence to say that scores are not determinative of a positive outcome for our students.

Finally, this debate is really all about the 25 or so most elite US colleges - maybe even fewer. In the real world of college admission in the US, most institutions accept half or more of the students who apply. Said another way, it's an argument about elitism, where the value attributed to these highly "rejective" institutions? has come down to a numbers game. Look at where first year students at Harvard Law School matriculated for their undergraduate degrees. Most people would not recognize the names of 40% of the colleges on the list. But that's an argument for another day when we talk about best college fit, not perceived prestige or brand name.

Let's see where this conversation goes. In my estimation, it will be hard to turn back the dial on test optional policies. What we all seek is the opportunity for students to be evaluated on the all that they have to offer. Isn't that in the best interest of students?